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As a founder / CTO the best money I have spent is on a really good coach. My coach (my cofounder's too, and now some of our leadership team) doesn't have partic

by gtf21 6y ago

As a founder / CTO the best money I have spent is on a really good coach. My coach (my cofounder's too, and now some of our leadership team) doesn't have particular expertise in founding or leading companies, but works with many founders, and she's not technical, but the things I think I have found hardest to learn are mostly around people management and leadership, which I think are underrated skills that require serious development (actually, whether one is in a position of leadership or not). When I think of all the books I have bought or conferences to which I have been, in terms of impact on my effectiveness as a manager and leader, coaching is wayyyyyyyy out in front. EDIT: actually not just as a leader / manager, but in all areas of my life.

radihuq 6y ago
How did you find your coach?
- gtf21 6y ago
  Recommendation from an investor and mentor I really respected. She had worked with my coach for years.
miguendes 6y ago
I'm considering hiring a coach to improve my soft skills. The problem is finding the right person. Do you have any tips on how to find such person? Edit: software -> soft I mean stuff like better communication, goal setting, learning strategies, negotiation skills...
- dpritchett 6y ago
  What are you hoping to learn? Might be hard to get it all from a single coach.
- radihuq 6y ago
  I'm not a coach, but I know one strategy that helped me IMMENSELY develop my social skills was moving to a new place where I didn't know anyone (and more importantly, no one knew me) and becoming the social person I wanted to be. At first I was pretty socially awkward, but over time (1-2 yrs) I became more confident in social environments and my conversation skills improved. I think the "fake it till you make it" worked great for me here. Obviously there are limitations to this - not sure most people can just move to a new city - but perhaps the principles can be applied ---> put yourself in an environment (like going to a meetup) where no one knows you and act like a socialite
- rdtwo 6y ago
  Best way to learn is through doing different challenges for yourself. A good psychologist can help you setup a plan and program without any out of pocket expenses besides co pay. Problem is finding one that uses evidence based therapy and isn’t a quack. Look for someone with a degree from a good university that specializes in anxiety
  - gtf21 6y ago
    I don't know if I really agree -- I have found having a coach extremely valuable (and mine is totally unqualified in terms of psychology degrees, but has heaps of experience of coaching founders). Having someone to help you think through problems who can do so objectively, and doesn't get fascinated with the detail because she's removed from the problems to a degree, is great.
    - rdtwo 6y ago
      A psychologist can basically be a coach for things like social anxiety. You might be able to get a better coach but you can also get a highly qualified one subsidized by healthcare.
      - gtf21 6y ago
        Oh I see, solving a different problem to me I suppose but fair enough.
- gtf21 6y ago
  Those are all things I've found coaching to help with. I had tried other coaches before settling with mine, she was recommended by an investor who had worked with her closely for years. To be honest, so much of it is deeply personal. She works brilliantly for me, but I'm sure others might have different experiences (although she coaches many founders). I think the best thing to do is to get recommendations / referrals from people you know, and try a few sessions. It really takes time (in my experience) to find a good rhythm with a coach, and to learn how to work with that person. An important indicator for me was that I felt really comfortable really quickly, and that my coach didn't just prescribe solutions, but instead helped me think through problems.
- laverick 6y ago
  I used this service before and found it quite good. https://findyourcoach.com https://findyourcoach.com
coachtech 6y ago
People are asking "How do I find a coach?", and like most personal services, the best leads come from referrals and friends. I'm a tech mentor and lifecoach myself, and I'm ready to work with you to help achieve your dreams. I offer a free discovery call to get clear on your goals: https://calendly.com/ryanpetroff/discovery-call https://calendly.com/ryanpetroff/discovery-call
orzig 6y ago
I've also struggled with finding the right coach. It's a tricky evaluation problem: The first meeting shouldn't feel perfectly comfortable, the whole point is that they're going to bring in viewpoints that stress you out. But incorrect viewpoints also stress me out. I'd love to demand scientific evidence behind all of their assertions, but have (kicking and screaming) come to realize that many important things in life simply don't/can't have studies at my preferred level of rigor. An idea: Hire a coach with the expressed goal of finding another coach. Like an interim CEO who understands they are not being considered for the permanent position. I tried this once, with friend-of-a-friend coach, and she couldn't really break out of her reflexive attempts to fix me directly, but that's n=1 and a convenience sample at that, so I think there's still potential in the idea. Let me know if it works for you!
- whimsicalism 6y ago
  > I'd love to demand scientific evidence behind all of their assertions, but have (kicking and screaming) come to realize that many important things in life simply don't/can't have studies at my preferred level of rigor. Hm. I still haven't accepted this, perhaps it's why I think a lot of management "techniques" are bullshit or bullshit combined with obvious truisms.
  - orzig 6y ago
    Both can be true! The fuzziness gives BS a lot of space to grow. But it's objectively true that some companies do better than others, with an effect size is so large and sustained that I (at least) have trouble believing that it's just chance
  - titanomachy 6y ago
    Even if you don't accept "can't", "don't" is pretty reasonable IMO.
    - whimsicalism 6y ago
      Well, I accept the "don't", but in those areas I wouldn't feel that breaking from what others are doing is unjustified. ie. If there isn't a strong justification in doing it, then there is no compelling reason for it to be done in that particular way.
x87678r 6y ago
I hate the idea but someone else said, every professional athlete has a coach.
alignedclarity 6y ago
Finding a stellar coach is much like making any other hire - their skills and style need to match your needs. It is definitely worth speaking to a few individuals to find a perfect fit. I am a leadership coach with 15+ years experience hiring and developing top talent for Google, Amazon, IBM, and more than 30 startups. I love helping leaders build clarity and confidence. If you'd like to book a complimentary call, you can find me at https://calendly.com/alignedclarity/discovery https://calendly.com/alignedclarity/discovery

by gtf21 6y ago

radihuq 6y ago

How did you find your coach?

gtf21 6y ago
Recommendation from an investor and mentor I really respected. She had worked with my coach for years.

miguendes 6y ago

I'm considering hiring a coach to improve my soft skills. The problem is finding the right person. Do you have any tips on how to find such person? Edit: software -> soft I mean stuff like better communication, goal setting, learning strategies, negotiation skills...

dpritchett 6y ago
What are you hoping to learn? Might be hard to get it all from a single coach.
radihuq 6y ago
I'm not a coach, but I know one strategy that helped me IMMENSELY develop my social skills was moving to a new place where I didn't know anyone (and more importantly, no one knew me) and becoming the social person I wanted to be. At first I was pretty socially awkward, but over time (1-2 yrs) I became more confident in social environments and my conversation skills improved. I think the "fake it till you make it" worked great for me here. Obviously there are limitations to this - not sure most people can just move to a new city - but perhaps the principles can be applied ---> put yourself in an environment (like going to a meetup) where no one knows you and act like a socialite
rdtwo 6y ago
Best way to learn is through doing different challenges for yourself. A good psychologist can help you setup a plan and program without any out of pocket expenses besides co pay. Problem is finding one that uses evidence based therapy and isn’t a quack. Look for someone with a degree from a good university that specializes in anxiety
- gtf21 6y ago
  I don't know if I really agree -- I have found having a coach extremely valuable (and mine is totally unqualified in terms of psychology degrees, but has heaps of experience of coaching founders). Having someone to help you think through problems who can do so objectively, and doesn't get fascinated with the detail because she's removed from the problems to a degree, is great.
  - rdtwo 6y ago
    A psychologist can basically be a coach for things like social anxiety. You might be able to get a better coach but you can also get a highly qualified one subsidized by healthcare.
    - gtf21 6y ago
      Oh I see, solving a different problem to me I suppose but fair enough.
gtf21 6y ago
Those are all things I've found coaching to help with. I had tried other coaches before settling with mine, she was recommended by an investor who had worked with her closely for years. To be honest, so much of it is deeply personal. She works brilliantly for me, but I'm sure others might have different experiences (although she coaches many founders). I think the best thing to do is to get recommendations / referrals from people you know, and try a few sessions. It really takes time (in my experience) to find a good rhythm with a coach, and to learn how to work with that person. An important indicator for me was that I felt really comfortable really quickly, and that my coach didn't just prescribe solutions, but instead helped me think through problems.
laverick 6y ago
I used this service before and found it quite good. https://findyourcoach.com https://findyourcoach.com

coachtech 6y ago

People are asking "How do I find a coach?", and like most personal services, the best leads come from referrals and friends. I'm a tech mentor and lifecoach myself, and I'm ready to work with you to help achieve your dreams. I offer a free discovery call to get clear on your goals: https://calendly.com/ryanpetroff/discovery-call https://calendly.com/ryanpetroff/discovery-call

orzig 6y ago

I've also struggled with finding the right coach. It's a tricky evaluation problem: The first meeting shouldn't feel perfectly comfortable, the whole point is that they're going to bring in viewpoints that stress you out. But incorrect viewpoints also stress me out. I'd love to demand scientific evidence behind all of their assertions, but have (kicking and screaming) come to realize that many important things in life simply don't/can't have studies at my preferred level of rigor. An idea: Hire a coach with the expressed goal of finding another coach. Like an interim CEO who understands they are not being considered for the permanent position. I tried this once, with friend-of-a-friend coach, and she couldn't really break out of her reflexive attempts to fix me directly, but that's n=1 and a convenience sample at that, so I think there's still potential in the idea. Let me know if it works for you!

whimsicalism 6y ago
> I'd love to demand scientific evidence behind all of their assertions, but have (kicking and screaming) come to realize that many important things in life simply don't/can't have studies at my preferred level of rigor. Hm. I still haven't accepted this, perhaps it's why I think a lot of management "techniques" are bullshit or bullshit combined with obvious truisms.
- orzig 6y ago
  Both can be true! The fuzziness gives BS a lot of space to grow. But it's objectively true that some companies do better than others, with an effect size is so large and sustained that I (at least) have trouble believing that it's just chance
- titanomachy 6y ago
  Even if you don't accept "can't", "don't" is pretty reasonable IMO.
  - whimsicalism 6y ago
    Well, I accept the "don't", but in those areas I wouldn't feel that breaking from what others are doing is unjustified. ie. If there isn't a strong justification in doing it, then there is no compelling reason for it to be done in that particular way.

x87678r 6y ago

I hate the idea but someone else said, every professional athlete has a coach.

alignedclarity 6y ago

Finding a stellar coach is much like making any other hire - their skills and style need to match your needs. It is definitely worth speaking to a few individuals to find a perfect fit. I am a leadership coach with 15+ years experience hiring and developing top talent for Google, Amazon, IBM, and more than 30 startups. I love helping leaders build clarity and confidence. If you'd like to book a complimentary call, you can find me at https://calendly.com/alignedclarity/discovery https://calendly.com/alignedclarity/discovery